Jaguar Land Rover wants to pay you while you drive and you don't need to do a thing

Motorists that own and drive a Jaguar Land Rover vehicle could soon be paid while on the roads for doing so.

Drivers will be able to earn cryptocurrency and make payments on the move using innovative connected car services being tested by Jaguar Land Rover.

Car owners earn credits by enabling their cars to automatically report useful road condition data such as traffic congestion or potholes to navigation providers or local authorities. This is using the firm's 'Smart Wallet technology.

These credits can be redeemed for certain rewards such as coffee or snacks, or they can be used to pay tolls, parking charged and for smart charging electric vehicles.

JLR has partnered with the IOTA Foundation to harness ‘distributed ledger’ technologies to make and receive these payments.

As a result, the system will not require transaction fees and over time is expected to get faster.

Drivers will also be able to top up the Smart Wallet using conventional payment methods.

The system and technology are currently being tested by JLR at the firms' engineering base in Shannon, Republic of Ireland.

Several vehicles have already been equipped with the technology including Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Velar.

The technology forms part of the Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero strategy which aims to achieve zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion.

One strand of achieving this is by transforming the vehicle to have an integral role as data gatherers in 'smart cities of the future.

For example, the connected ‘Smart Wallet’ services will promote a reduction in congestion with the sharing of live traffic updates and offering alternative routes to drivers, reducing tailpipe emissions from idling in traffic.

Russell Vickers, Jaguar Land Rover Software Architect, said: “The connected car technologies we are developing will be transformative and truly turn your Jaguar or Land Rover into a third space, in addition to your home or office.

"In the future an autonomous car could drive itself to a charging station, recharge and pay, while its owner could choose to participate in the sharing economy - earning rewards from sharing useful data such as warning other cars of traffic jams.”

Nick Rogers, Executive Director of Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover said: “Our Shannon software development centre is advancing the use of cryptocurrency to make people’s lives better, by allowing drivers to safely share data and make payments from their vehicle.

"Working with our engineering hub in the UK, the team in Shannon are pioneering and testing these sophisticated connected technologies that will help people to make the most of the time they spend in their car.

“Jaguar Land Rover is embracing autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility technology as we endeavour to make cars safer, cleaner and smarter for everybody.”